Duchy of Arefellia
Unity is strength. The Duchy of Arefellia is a rather new appearance on the map of Astros. Indeed, it formed relatively recently - only twenty years ago, in 1453 AD, when the duchies of Arevinci and Feliccio joined together in a personal union, which, over the course of said twenty years, meshed it into a single faction. Ever since, the houses of Scompillo and Silvencio became even closer than before. The union formed during a turbulent time - the struggles for the throne of Arevinci after the death of Duke Lucio and his direct heirs, and the tensions between the Tevas and the Arevincians, and, perhaps, this meshing of two lesser duchies into a bigger one was a truly clever political move - the struggles were quickly ended, as Vitale di Scompillo, son of Enzo di Scompillio, who was the supposed heir to the throne, crowned himself duke, and married the Duchess of Feliccio, forming a personal union. Although a long period of peace has been ensured in Southern Astros, tensions still exist among the states in the region. While secure in terms of internal politics, a slight threat stands (or, rather, soars through the sky) beside the union in the form of a bird of embers arising from its ashen grave - the Phoenix Republic, reformed by "Firelord" Duke Felix II di Aurelii, who, after ousting his cousin Duchess Elisa di Aurelii, proclaimed Maris an authoritarian republic, with the office of Duce, elected for life, having even greater freedoms of rule than the old Dukes of Maris. Far stronger and more unified than before, the Marissians, before viewed as 'simple fishmongers', now pose an actual threat to the peace in Southern Astros yet again. For all that, however, the sense of unity within the people of Arefellia is strong - and so is their military. Since the nobles and politicians within the realm are as placid as ever, the main concern of the Arefellians should be their neighbours. In the case of an outright war with the Duce, the Union stands a solid chance - their military has been reformed to fit the changing course of warfare, with arquebusiers becoming the backbone of the armies, and Arevincian heavy infantry playing a key role in protecting the flanks of the ranged units from various threats. A civil war has been brewing north of the state as well - with the Grand Duchy of Central Astros shattering into pieces, the old Duchy of Arona split into three separate factions. While the party bordering Arefellia - the Crimsonares, - are weak, they pose an ideological threat to the land. And yet, the lords and rulers of the Union could profit from this war - perhaps by conquest, or more indirect ways, such as supporting one of the sides in the war. In either case, the heads of state in Arefellia can afford to bide their time - with a solid, well-defended base at home, they can set their sights abroad. After all, is that not how the old Empire was started?.. Category:Factions